Pima Community College
| Pima Community College | |
|---|---|
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| Established | 1969 |
| Type | Public, 2-year College |
| Chancellor | Roy Flores, PhD |
| Academic staff | 368 full-time Instructional and Educational Support faculty |
| Students | 75,039 annual enrollment (2005-2006) |
| Undergraduates | 62,252 (2005-2006) |
| Other students | 12,787 non-credit (2005-2006) |
| Location | Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Campus | Six campuses, four education centers |
| Colors | Blue and black |
| Nickname | Aztecs |
| Website | http://www.pima.edu/ |
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Pima Community College (PCC) is an American two-year institution of higher education in Pima County, Arizona serving the Tucson metropolitan area. The community college district consists of six campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learning centers. It provides traditional and online instruction for over 144 programs.[1] The college also offers workforce training, non-credit personal interest classes and post-baccalaureate certificates. PCC is one of the largest multi-campus community colleges in the United States, with relative ranking varying between fourth and tenth largest.[2]
PCC received some attention in early 2011, as the former school of 2011 Tucson Shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner.
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[edit] History
In 1966, the voters in Pima County approved the creation of a junior college district, and the first classes were held in 1969 at a temporary campus in an airplane hangar at the Tucson airport, Tucson Medical Center, Villa Maria, and Marana. The college was originally named Pima College but the name was changed to Pima Community College in 1972 to better reflect the mission of the College.[3]
[edit] Campuses and learning centers
The original campus for Pima College was located at the site which is now the West Campus. Before the campus opened, classes were taught at a variety of locations around Tucson. From 1971 to the present, the college district has expanded to meet the growing educational needs of the Tucson area. The campuses and learning center provides traditional classroom, distance learning, and hands-on learning opportunities. There are six campuses across the Tucson metropolitan area:
- Community campus
- Desert Vista campus
- Downtown campus
- East campus
- Northwest campus
- West campus
Additionally, there are four Learning/Education Centers:
- Davis Monthan Air Force Base Education Center
- Green Valley Community Learning Center
- Northeast Education Center (closed in 2011)
- Southeast Education Center
[edit] Community campus
The Pima Community College Community campus was opened in 1975 to meet non-traditional educational needs, including distance learning, non-degree activity classes, and adult education. In 1997, the campus moved to its current location at Bonita Avenue and Commerce Park Loop, near St. Mary's Road and Interstate 10. Campus is home to the teacher education program.
[edit] Desert Vista campus
First established as the South Education Center in 1986, the Desert Vista campus moved to its present location in 1993. The campus is located at Valencia Viejo, a site once occupied by the Hohokam people, between Irvington Road and Valencia Road on Calle Santa Cruz, west of Interstate 19. The campus supports the nearby Aviation Technology Center at Tucson International Airport and supplies workforce training to the business community at the Center for Training and Development.
[edit] Downtown campus
Opened in 1974, Downtown Campus is situated between Speedway Blvd. and Drachman Street on Stone Avenue, close to downtown Tucson and east of Interstate 10. It has traditional academic, occupational, technical, and trade programs.
[edit] East campus
In 1976, the college established the East Learning Center, which became East campus in 1981 with the construction of a new facility located on 58 acres (230,000 m2) of land at Irvington Road and Fred Enke Drive, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Its programs include Veterinary Technology and Emergency Medical Technology.
[edit] Northwest campus
In 2003, the Northwest Community Learning Center (established in 1998) became the Northwest campus, the newest PCC campus. The 50-acre (200,000 m2) campus is located on Shannon Road, between Ina and Magee roads in north Tucson. The campus is home to the hotel/restaurant management and therapeutic massage programs.
[edit] West campus
The oldest Pima Community College campus, West campus is located on 267 acres (1.1 km2) of land between Anklam Road and Speedway Blvd., west of Interstate 10. The campus was opened in 1970. Facilities located at West Campus include the Center for Archaeological Field Training, the Center for the Arts, and the offices of the Aztec Press newspaper and Cababi literary magazine. The campus is home to the college's programs in health-related professions. West Campus is home to SandScript, a student literary magazine.
[edit] Learning centers
The learning centers provide administrative functions and teach classes. These centers are:
- Northeast Education Center, located at the Catalina Village shopping center at the corner of Pantano and Wrightstown roads closed in 2011.
- Southeast Education Center, serving the Vail region of Pima County from Cienega High School, on Mary Ann Cleveland Way.
- Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Education Center, meeting the needs of active duty military at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and members of the general public.
- Green Valley Community Learning Center, south of Tucson along Interstate 19, serving the Green Valley community.
Adult learning centers for basic education, ESOL instruction, citizenship classes, and GED preparation are located at the following locations:
- Eastside Learning Center on south Alvernon Way.
- El Pueblo Liberty Learning Center on Irvington Road, east of Interstate 19.
- El Rio Learning Center on west Speedway Blvd.
- Lindsey Center on south Third Ave.
[edit] Organization and governance
PCC is governed by a five-member Board of Governors, whose members serve six-year elected terms. Board members are elected based on County electoral district.
The Chancellor of PCC serves as its chief executive officer. Currently, Dr. Roy Flores is the Chancellor of PCC.
Each campus is led by a president, and each administrative area is run by a vice chancellor. A list of all campus presidents, vice chancellors, and board members can be found on PCC's Administration and Board of Governors websites.
[edit] Accreditation
PCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[4] Additionally, many medical programs (such as nursing or veterinary technology) have additional specialized accreditation by the Arizona and United States Departments of Education. PCC’s Aviation Technology Program, through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
[edit] Programs of study
PCC offers programs: in many disciplines
- Arts, Humanities & Communication
- Business Careers
- Computer Information Technology
- Education Careers
- Health-Related Professions
- Public Safety Careers
- Science & Engineering
- Social Sciences
- Trade Professions
- General Studies
- Transfer Programs
[edit] Degrees and certificates
PCC awards the following degrees:
- Associate of Arts (AA)
- Associate of Business (AB)
- Associate of Science (AS)
- Associate of Fine Arts (AFA)
- Associate of Applied Arts (AAA)
- Associate of General Studies (AGS)
It also awards certificates in many disciplines (see "Programs of Study").
[edit] AGEC
In 1999, Arizona approved the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) for students transferring from an Arizona community college to one of the three state universities. A 35-credit block of general education courses, the AGEC transfers to the state universities (and some other baccalaureate degree granting institutions) to meet their lower division general education requirements.[5] PCC awards the AGEC-A, AGEC-B, and AGEC-S certificates.
[edit] Student activities
[edit] Student publications
| Type | Biweekly student newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Publisher | Pima Community College journalism program |
| Editor-in-chief | D.J. Ochoa (Fall 2010 - Current) |
| Staff writers | Students at Pima Community College |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | West Campus, Pima Community College Tucson, Arizona |
| Circulation | 5,000 |
| Official website | www.aztecpressonline.com |
- Aztec Press, the student-run biweekly newspaper
- SandScript, a literary magazine. This publication has won the Best Overall Publication, Southwest Division, from the Community College Humanities Association, most recently in 2006.[6]
[edit] Aztec Press
The Aztec Press is the student newspaper at Pima Community College. It was created in the 1970s as the Campus News (1973 to 1977), then named the Aztec Campus News (1977–1978) and Aztec News (1978–1981), before changing to the current name.[7] Cynthia Lancaster is the current adviser.
The Aztec Press serves all six campuses of Pima Community College. Current circulation is 5,000 copies, published every other Thursday during regular school semesters. The Aztec Press is an affiliate of UWIRE [8], which distributes and promotes its content to their network.
[edit] Athletic teams
PCC sponsors fifteen intercollegiate sports teams for men and women.
[edit] Other programs
- Army ROTC
- Performing arts (theater, music, and art)
- Student government
- Honors program
- Phi Theta Kappa honors society
[edit] Community programs
PCC offers many community-related programs to support the needs of the Tucson metropolitan area. It provides GED and adult literacy classes, art and theater, senior facilities, and summer camps. PCC also has an extensive small-business development center.[9]
[edit] Noted alumni
- Abdi Abdirahman
- Ryan Erek Amstutz, actor
- D. J. Carrasco, professional baseball pitcher
- Erubiel Durazo, professional baseball player
- Efrain Escudero, reality TV star, UFC fighter, and the winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 8
- Warren Faidley, storm chaser
- Drew Fickett, UFC fighter
- Jesse Forbes, reality TV star and UFC fighter
- Marla Kyo, actress, credits include Hawaii Five-O and Ashes to Ashes
- Horacio Llamas, professional basketball player
- Danny Martinez, MMA fighter, and WEC competitor
- Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O'odham nation since 2007.[10]
- Jared Lee Loughner, primary suspect in the 2011 Tucson shooting[11]
- George Roop, reality TV star, and UFC fighter
- Nancy Turner, author[12]
- Gilbert De La Vara, minor league baseball pitcher[13]
- Jamie Varner, UFC fighter, and WEC Champion
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.pima.edu/about/quickfacts.html, accessed 15 May 2007.
- ^ Ipedspas
- ^ http://www.pima.edu/aboutpima/historic_profile/, accessed 3/21/07
- ^ http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Itemid=192&Action=ShowBasic&instid=1012, accessed 31 March 2007.
- ^ Arizona CAS - What is an AGEC?
- ^ http://www.ccha-assoc.org/association/Literary-Winners-06.pdf, accessed 31 March 2007
- ^ Summary of College Newspapers on Microfilm. Pima Community College Library.
- ^ http://www.uwire.com/content/affiliates.html
- ^ For example, see: Marilyn Johnson, "Community college center aids entrepreneurs," Arizona Business Gazette, Vol.114, Iss. 11; Sec. 1, p. 17 (Mar 17, 1994); "PCC Business Center Turing Firms Around," Arizona Daily Star, March 19, 2000.
- ^ http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2007/05/31/53199-new-o-odham-chairman-wants-to-do-business/
- ^ Berger, Judson (2011-01-10). "Loughner's Meltdown Began in Adulthood, Those Near Him Say". Fox News Channel. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/10/loughners-meltdown-began-adulthood-near-say/. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ^ Pima Community College : Featured Alumni
- ^ Minor League Baseball: Stats: Player
[edit] External links
- Official website
- PCC Library
- Aztec Press, college newspaper
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